Jo Cox

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Jo Cox
Helen Joanne Cox.jpg
Member of Parliament
for Batley and Spen
In office
8 May 2015 – 16 June 2016
Preceded by Mike Wood
Succeeded by Vacant
Majority 6,051 (12.00%)[1]
Personal details
Born Helen Joanne Leadbeater
(1974-06-22)22 June 1974
Batley, England
Died 16 June 2016(2016-06-16) (aged 41)
Birstall, England[2]
Political party Labour
Spouse(s) Brendan Cox
Children 2
Alma mater Pembroke College, Cambridge
London School of Economics
Website Official website

Helen Joanne "Jo" Cox[3] (née Leadbeater;[4] 22 June 1974 – 16 June 2016) was a British Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Batley and Spen constituency from her election in May 2015 until her death 13 months later in June 2016, having won the seat with an increased majority for Labour in the 2015 general election.[5]

Working first as a political assistant, she then joined the international humanitarian charity Oxfam, where she rose to become head of policy and advocacy at Oxfam GB. She was selected to contest the Batley and Spen parliamentary seat after the previous incumbent decided not to stand in 2015. Having held the seat for Labour, she became a campaigner on issues relating to the Syrian Civil War, and founded and chaired the all-party parliamentary group Friends of Syria; an obituary appearing in The Independent on the day of her death described her as having "campaigned tirelessly for refugees".[6]

On 16 June 2016, Cox died shortly after being shot and stabbed multiple times in Birstall, where she had been due to hold a constituency surgery. A 52-year-old man was charged with her murder and will stand trial under terrorism protocols.[7][8]

Early life and education[edit]

Cox was born on 22 June 1974 in Batley, West Yorkshire, England, and raised in Heckmondwike. Her mother was a school secretary while her father worked in a toothpaste and hairspray factory.[9] She was educated at Heckmondwike Grammar School, a state grammar school, where she was head girl. During summers, she worked packing toothpaste.[9]

Cox studied Social and Political Sciences at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1995. She was the first member of her family to attend university. She later studied at the London School of Economics.[1][10][11][12][13] She later recalled that her experience at Cambridge, where what mattered was "where you were born ... how you spoke ... who you knew", "knocked me for about five years".[1]

Career[edit]

Early career[edit]

Following her graduation, Cox worked as an adviser to Labour MP Joan Walley, before moving to Brussels to spend two years advising Glenys Kinnock, who was then a Member of the European Parliament.[1] Cox worked for the aid groups Oxfam and Oxfam International between 2001 and 2009, first in Brussels as the leader of the group's trade reform campaign, as head of policy and advocacy at Oxfam GB in 2005, and head of Oxfam International's humanitarian campaigns in New York City in 2007.[14] While there she was instrumental in helping to publish For a Safer Tomorrow, a book authored by Ed Cairns that examines the changing nature of the world's humanitarian policies.[15] Her work for Oxfam where she met disadvantaged groups in Darfur and Afghanistan influenced her political career.[1]

Cox's charity work led to a role advising Sarah Brown (the wife of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown), who was spearheading a campaign to prevent deaths in pregnancy and childbirth.[9][16] Cox was the national chair of the Labour Women's Network and a senior adviser to the Freedom Fund, an anti-slavery charity.[11][12]

Political career[edit]

Cox was nominated by the Labour Party to contest the Batley and Spen seat being vacated by Mike Wood in the 2015 general election.[17] She was selected as a candidate for the seat from an all-women shortlist.[1] The Batley and Spen constituency is considered to be a safe seat for Labour,[18] and Cox won the seat with 43.2% of the vote, increasing Labour's majority to 6,051.[1][5]

Cox's constituency, Batley and Spen, is located in West Yorkshire (pictured)

Cox made her maiden speech in the House of Commons on 3 June 2015, using it to celebrate her constituency's ethnic diversity, while highlighting the economic challenges facing the community and urging the government to rethink its approach to economic regeneration.[19] She was one of 36 Labour MPs who nominated Jeremy Corbyn as a candidate in the Labour leadership election of 2015, but said she had done so in order to get him on the list and encourage a broad debate.[20] In the election she voted for Liz Kendall,[21] and announced after the local elections on 6 May 2016 that she and fellow MP Neil Coyle regretted nominating Corbyn.[22]

Cox campaigned for a solution to the Syrian Civil War.[13] In October 2015 she co-authored, with Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell, an article in The Observer arguing that British military forces could help achieve an ethical solution to the conflict, including the creation of civilian safe havens inside Syria.[23] During that month Cox launched the All Party Parliamentary Friends of Syria group, becoming its chair.[24][25] In the Commons vote in December to approve UK military intervention against ISIL in Syria, Cox abstained because she believed in a more comprehensive strategy that would also include combatting President Bashar al-Assad and his "indiscriminate barrel bombs".[13] She wrote:

By refusing to tackle Assad's brutality, we may actively alienate more of the Sunni population, driving them towards Isis. So I have decided to abstain. Because I am not against airstrikes per se, but I cannot actively support them unless they are part of a plan. Because I believe in action to address Isis, but do not believe it will work in isolation.[26]

Andrew Grice of The Independent felt that she "argued forcefully that the UK Government should be doing more both to help the victims and use its influence abroad to bring an end to the Syrian conflict".[6]

Cox was a parliamentary supporter of the Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East,[27] and called for the lifting of the blockade of the Gaza Strip.[28] She opposed efforts by the government to curtail the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, and said "I believe that this is a gross attack on democratic freedoms. Not only is it right to boycott unethical companies but it is our right to do so."[29]

Cox was a "Remain" supporter in the campaign leading to the 2016 referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union.[30] Following her death, the EU referendum campaign was suspended for the day by both sides as a mark of respect.[14] The BBC cancelled editions of Question Time and This Week, two political discussion programmes scheduled to air that evening focussing on issues relating to the referendum.[31][32]

Personal life[edit]

Cox was married to Brendan Cox, who was an adviser on international development to Gordon Brown during the latter's premiership.[33][34] The couple met while she was working for Oxfam.[15] They had two children,[11] who were aged three and five when Cox died.[35]

Cox's family divided their time between their constituency home and a houseboat, a converted Dutch barge, on the Thames, moored near Tower Bridge in London.[1][13]

Death[edit]

Main article: Killing of Jo Cox
The library in Birstall where Cox had been due to hold a constituency surgery at the time of the attack

On 16 June 2016, Cox was fatally shot and stabbed outside the library in Birstall, West Yorkshire, where she was about to hold a constituency surgery at 1:00 pm.[14][36]

According to eyewitnesses, she was shot three times—once near the head—and stabbed multiple times. A 77-year-old man, Bernard Kenny, was stabbed in the stomach while trying to fend off her attacker. Initial reports indicated that the gunman shouted "Britain first" as he carried out the attack.[14] The far-right Britain First party issued a statement denying any involvement or encouragement in the attack and suggested that the phrase "could have been a slogan rather than a reference to our party".[37][38]

Four hours after the incident, West Yorkshire Police announced that Cox had died at Leeds General Infirmary.[36][39] She was the first sitting MP to be fatally attacked since the 1990 death of the Conservative party's Ian Gow, victim of a Provisional IRA car bomb,[40] and it was the first serious assault on an MP since Stephen Timms was stabbed by Roshonara Choudhry in an attempted assassination in 2010.[41][42] A memorial service was held at St. Peter's Church in Birstall, the following day.[43]

A vigil held in remembrance outside Bath Abbey, one of the many held around Britain

Thomas Mair, age 52, a constituent of Cox's[44] who had a history of psychiatric problems and links to the U.S.-based National Alliance, a neo-Nazi group,[45] was arrested in connection with her death shortly after the attack.[46][47] In a statement issued the day following the attack, West Yorkshire Police said that Cox was the victim of a "targeted attack" and that the suspect's links to far-right extremism were a "priority line of inquiry" in a search for a motive.[48] On 18 June, police announced that Mair had been charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon.[49] He appeared in Westminster Magistrates' Court later that day, and at the Old Bailey on 20 June.[50]

Cox's husband, Brendan, issued a statement following her death, urging people to "fight against the hatred that killed her".[51] Among those who paid tribute to Cox were Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who described her as someone who was "dedicated to getting us to live up to our promises to support the developing world and strengthen human rights",[52] while Prime Minister David Cameron said she was "a star for her constituents, a star in parliament, and right across the house".[53] U.S. President Barack Obama telephoned Brendan Cox to offer his condolences, noting that "the world is a better place because of her selfless service to others".[54] Parliament was recalled on 20 June 2016 for fellow MPs to pay tribute to Cox.[55]

The day after Cox died, 17 June 2016, Brendan Cox set up a GoFundMe page named "Jo Cox's Fund" in aid of three charities which he described as "closest to her heart": the Royal Voluntary Service, HOPE not hate, and the White Helmets, a Syrian civil defence group. £700,000 had been raised by 19 June 2016,[56][57] with the amount exceeding £1 million by the following day.[58] On 20 June, Oxfam announced that it would release Stand As One – Live at Glastonbury 2016, an album of live performances from the 2016 Glastonbury Festival in memory of Cox; proceeds from the album, released on 11 July, will go towards helping the charity's work with refugees.[59][60] The festival opened with a tribute to Cox.[61]

On the evening of 23 June, while ballots were being counted in the EU membership referendum, polling officials in the Yorkshire and Humber region observed a minute of silence.[62] West Yorkshire Coroner Martin Fleming opened an inquest into Cox's death at Bradford Coroner's Court on 24 June. The inquest was adjourned following a six-minute hearing, and Cox's body released to allow her family to make funeral arrangements.[63]

See also[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Jo Cox

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Jo Cox obituary: Proud Yorkshire lass who became local MP". BBC News. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  2. ^ MP Jo Cox died from 'multiple stab and gunshot wounds'
  3. ^ The London Gazette: no. 61230. p. 9119. 18 May 2015.
  4. ^ Carr, Tim; Dale, Iain; Waller, Robert (18 May 2015). The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2015: Profiles of the New MPs and Analysis of the 2015 General Election Results. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 9781849549240. 
  5. ^ a b "Batley & Spen Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015. 
  6. ^ a b "Jo Cox obituary: The Labour MP who campaigned tirelessly for refugees". The Independent. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  7. ^ Booth, Robert; Dodd, Vikram; Parveen, Nazia (17 June 2016). "Jo Cox killing: suspect's far-right links a 'priority line of inquiry'". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2016. 
  8. ^ Walker, Peter (20 June 2016). "Jo Cox killing: Thomas Mair to face judge under terrorism protocols". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2016. 
  9. ^ a b c "Jo Cox profile: The Yorkshire lass who achieved her 'dream' of representing her hometown in Westminster". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  10. ^ "COX, Helen Joanne, (Jo)". Who's Who 2016. A & C Black. 2016. 
  11. ^ a b c Martin, Shaw (12 May 2014). "Women's campaigner Jo Cox chosen as Labour candidate to fight next General Election in Batley & Spen". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. Retrieved 6 May 2016. 
  12. ^ a b "Jo Cox". The Labour Party. Retrieved 8 October 2015. 
  13. ^ a b c d "'I've been in some horrific situations' – MP". Yorkshire Post. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2016. 
  14. ^ a b c d Boyle, Danny (16 June 2016). "Labour MP Jo Cox dies after being shot and stabbed in her constituency near Leeds". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  15. ^ a b "Jo Cox MP: 'A humanitarian with political nous'". BBC News (BBC). 17 June 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016. 
  16. ^ Hope, Christopher (10 June 2014). "Oxfam: MPs shocked by 'disgraceful' political campaigning". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 October 2015. 
  17. ^ Shaw, Martin (12 May 2014). "Women's campaigner Jo Cox chosen as Labour candidate to fight next General Election in Batley & Spen". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  18. ^ Castle, Stephen; Bock, Pauline (16 June 2016). "Jo Cox, Member of British Parliament, Is Killed in Attack". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  19. ^ "Devolution And Growth Across Britain". Hansard. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016. 
  20. ^ "Maiden speech made by new MP Cox before nominating Corbyn". Batley & Birstall News. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  21. ^ Grice, Andrew; Wright, Oliver (10 September 2015). "Labour moderates plot fightback aimed at regaining control of party in the event of Jeremy Corbyn victory". The Independent. Retrieved 6 May 2016. 
  22. ^ Cox, Jo; Coyle, Neil (6 May 2016). "We nominated Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership. Now we regret it". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2016. 
  23. ^ Mitchell, Andrew; Cox, Jo (11 October 2015). "British forces could help achieve an ethical solution in Syria". The Observer. Retrieved 11 October 2015. 
  24. ^ Helm, Toby; Boffey, Daniel (10 October 2015). "More than 50 Labour MPs to defy Jeremy Corbyn in vote on Syria". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 June 2016. 
  25. ^ Proctor, Kate (12 February 2016). "Jo Cox: Syrian ceasefire tipped in President Assad and Russia's favour". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 1 June 2016. 
  26. ^ Cox, Jo (2 December 2015). "With Regret, I Feel I Have No Other Option But to Abstain on Syria". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 6 May 2016. 
  27. ^ "Parliamentary supporters". Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East. Retrieved 17 June 2016. 
  28. ^ "Making the progressive case for peace in Palestine and Israel: Labour Party policies to support the rule of law and human rights" (PDF). Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East. December 2015. pp. 10–12. Retrieved 17 June 2016. 
  29. ^ Cox, Jo (17 February 2016). "Have your say: Israel boycott ban". jocox.org.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2016. 
  30. ^ "EU vote: Where the cabinet and other MPs stand". BBC News. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  31. ^ Goodacre, Kate (16 June 2016). "Question Time and This Week cancelled by BBC following the tragic death of Jo Cox MP". DigitalSpy.com. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  32. ^ Lewis, Helen (16 June 2016). "EU campaigning suspended following death of Jo Cox MP". New Statesman (Progressive Media International). Retrieved 17 June 2016. 
  33. ^ Sims, Alexandra (16 June 2016). "Jo Cox dead: MP's husband Brendan Cox says wife was killed by 'hate'". Independent. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  34. ^ "Husband posts picture on Twitter of MP wife outside their houseboat". The Daily Telegraph. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  35. ^ "MP Jo Cox killed in appalling street attack". SKY News. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  36. ^ a b Booth, Robert; Dodd, Vikram; Parveen, Nazia (16 June 2016). "Labour MP Jo Cox has died after being shot and stabbed". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  37. ^ Hartley-Parkinson, Richard (16 June 2016). "MP Jo Cox shot outside Birstall library by man shouting 'Britain First'". Metro. Retrieved 16 June 2016. Britain First obviously is NOT involved and would never encourage behaviour of this sort. 
  38. ^ Boyle, Danny (16 June 2016). "Britain First party leader 'just as shocked as everyone else'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 June 2016. Jo Cox is obviously an MP campaigning to keep Britain in the EU so if it was shouted by the attacker it could have been a slogan rather than a reference to our party — we just don't know. 
  39. ^ "Jo Cox MP dead after shooting attack". BBC News. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  40. ^ Calamur, Krishnadev; Vasilogambros, Matt (16 June 2016). "The Attack on a British MP". The Atlantic. Retrieved 16 June 2016. As our colleague Matt Ford notes, Cox is the first MP to be assassinated in office since Ian Gow, a Conservative lawmaker who was killed in a car bombing by the Irish Republican Army in 1990. 
  41. ^ Siddique, Haroon (16 June 2016). "Attack on Jo Cox is only the latest serious assault against an MP". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  42. ^ Nicks, Denver (16 June 2016). "Assassinated British MP Was a Vocal Humanitarian". Time. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  43. ^ "Jo Cox MP death: David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn unite in tributes". BBC News. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016. 
  44. ^ Pidd, Helen (17 June 2016). "Suspect in Jo Cox's killing described as quiet, polite and reserved". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 June 2016. 
  45. ^ Pogatchnik, Shawn; Lawless, Jill (17 June 2016). "Police probe far-right ties, mental health in Jo Cox slaying". Associated Press. Retrieved 17 June 2016. 
  46. ^ Foster, Patrick; Mendick, Robert; Wilkinson, Michael (16 June 2016). "Thomas Mair: Man arrested in connection with Jo Cox attack was a 'loner' with 'history of mental health problems'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 June 2016. 
  47. ^ Castle, Stephen (17 June 2016). "Suspect in British Lawmaker's Killing Is Said to Have Neo-Nazi Ties". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 June 2016. 
  48. ^ Booth, Robert; Dodd, Vikram (17 June 2016). "Jo Cox killing: suspect's far-right links a 'priority line of inquiry'". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2016. 
  49. ^ Booth, Robert (17 June 2016). "Thomas Mair charged with murder of MP Jo Cox". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2016. 
  50. ^ "Jo Cox MP death: Thomas Mair in court on murder charge". BBC News. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016. 
  51. ^ "Jo Cox death: Husband leads tributes to shot MP". BBC News. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  52. ^ John, Tara. "Tributes Pour in for Jo Cox Following British MP's Death". Time. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  53. ^ "Jo Cox MP: 'We've lost a bright star' says Cameron". BBC News. Retrieved 16 June 2016. 
  54. ^ "Obama Makes Phone Call To Jo Cox's Husband". Sky News. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016. 
  55. ^ "Jo Cox death: MPs return to Parliament to pay tribute". BBC News. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016. 
  56. ^ "Jo Cox remembered at Sunday church services nationwide". ITV News (ITN). 19 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016. 
  57. ^ "Jo Cox's Fund". gofundme.com/jocox. GoFundMe. Retrieved 20 June 2016. 
  58. ^ Quinn, Ben (20 June 2016). "Jo Cox memorial fund passes £1m mark in three days". The Guardian (Guardian Media Group). Retrieved 21 June 2016. 
  59. ^ Payne, Chris (20 June 2016). "Coldplay, Muse, Chvrches & More to Tribute Jo Cox With Glastonbury Live Album". Billboard. Retrieved 21 June 2016. 
  60. ^ "Glastonbury live album to be dedicated to Jo Cox MP". BBC News (BBC). 21 June 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2016. 
  61. ^ "Glastonbury Festival has sombre opening". BBC News (BBC). 24 June 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016. 
  62. ^ "Counting stops for minute silence for Jo Cox". The Telegraph. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016. 
  63. ^ Parveen, Nazia (24 June 2016). "Body of MP Jo Cox released to family for funeral". The Guardian (Guardian Media Group). Retrieved 24 June 2016. 

External links[edit]

  • Media related to Jo Cox at Wikimedia Commons
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Mike Wood		 Member of Parliament
for Batley and Spen
2015–2016		 Vacant
Authority control
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jo_Cox&oldid=727602231"